Amendments to AFSPA pending: PC

The CRPF team, which had travelled in a bus in Maoist-infested Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra that killed 15 jawans did not take the standard precautions, a report to the home ministry has said.

Home minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the officer commanding the CRPF personnel decided to use a road not usually used by security vehicles, apparently to bring in an element of surprise in troop movements.

The home minister also backed Odisha government for negotiating with Maoists during the Italians' kidnapping, saying when abductions took place, it may be the only option.

On AFSPA

Responding to UN expert Christof Heyns' suggestion to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Chidambaram said the ministry had taken note of this view.

"But that's not a novel view as there are a number of people who have expressed the same view and there are others who have a contrary view which is why the issue remains unresolved," he said, adding the ministry had proposed three changes to this law.

On Karnataka DGP

The minister said the comparison made in the Karnataka HC judgment that called state police chief Shanker Bidari worse than dictators like Saddam Hussein was "unfortunate".